Exploring Japanese Tea: Varieties and Prices

February 6, 2026 Alexander A

Hello everyone and welcome back! In this post, I will be talking about tea in Japan. Tea is a drink made by pouring hot or boiling water over tea leaves or tea buds. So, where do the tea leaves or buds come from? They come from a small tree with the botanical name Camellia sinensis, which is a species of evergreen shrub or small tree. The leaves and buds are used to produce all types of tea, including green tea, black tea, white tea, oolong tea, and pu’erh. The plant is indigenous to East Asia and usually thrives in tropical or subtropical climates. The Camellia sinensis has two main varieties: C. sinensis var. sinensis (usually Chinese tea) and C. sinensis var. assamica (Assam or broadleaf tea).

Let’s dive deeper into what C. Sinensis var. sinensis and C. Sinensis var. assamica are. The C. Sinensis var. sinensis originates from the slopes of the Himalayas and some adjoining areas of Southern China, such as the regions of Yunnan. It’s usually known as China tea, featuring small leaves, high tolerance to cold temperatures, and suitability for the cool and high-altitude climates. Historically, it was discovered by Emperor Shen Nong in 2737 BC, when wild leaves mistakenly blew into his boiling water pot. Also, the Buddhist monks introduced the seeds and cultivation techniques from China to Japan and Korea. So, what about C. Sinensis var. assamica? It originated from the Assam region in Northeast India, like the Brahmaputra Valley. However, the variety is also native to the southern part of Yunnan Province. This type was introduced by Europeans, but the local tribes, like the Singpho, were the ones who discovered it first. The native range of C. Sinensis var. assamica extends through Northern Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam.

So, what’s the difference between these two types? Based on the leaves, the var. sinensis type has significantly larger leaves, from 8 to 30 cm, and they’re thinner. But the Assamica generally contains higher levels of caffeine and polyphenols, and the tree can grow tall, reaching up to 18 meters (that was 60 feet for you American people), instead of growing as a dense and multi-stemmed bush like the var. sinensis. However, the Sinensis can survive in frost and snow, instead of sauna-like humidity like the Assamica. Regarding the expected lifespan of these two, the Assamica can live a long time, up to thousands of years, unlike the Sinensis. Because the Assamica has higher levels of caffeine and polyphenols, it creates a bold, “malty,” and puckering sensation, and the leaves are tough enough to handle intensive oxidation, making them best for Black Tea, English Breakfast tea, or Pu-erh. The Sinensis has a higher concentration of L-theanine (an amino acid) and aromatic oils, creating sweeter, floral, and umami flavors, making it best for Green tea, White tea, and High-Mountain Oolong.

Okay, let’s start to see all the teas that are being sold in Japanese minimarkets. But first, I will tell you that all the research that I’ve done doesn’t guarantee the correctness of the information. The availability and price of the products may be wrong. You may see the price is more expensive or the tea is not being sold when buying. There are also regional differences in availability: a store in Tokyo may sell the product, but a store in Osaka may not sell the product. Okay, let’s go to the business. The first one is green tea, or in Japanese 緑茶（りょくちゃ/ryokucha）. At 7/11 there is green tea that 7/11 makes themselves, and the starting price is 116 yen after tax. Seicomart and Lawson also have their own green tea products, starting from 118 yen for Lawson. But for Seicomart, I can’t give you the starting price for the product. Family Mart also sells green tea, but not their own green tea; the starting price is 118 yen after tax. The second tea is matcha. 7/11 sells this type of tea, but I can’t give you the starting price for this product. Unfortunately, I cannot confirm if Seicomart and Family Mart sell this type of tea. But Lawson, with their Machi Cafe, sells fresh matcha. The third type of tea is houjicha ほうじ茶（ほうじちゃ/houjicha）. 7/11 and Seicomart sell their own houjicha products; the starting price for the 7/11 houjicha is 116 yen. Lawson and Family Mart also sell this type of tea, but it’s not their own tea product. The fourth product is brown rice tea or 玄米茶（げんまいちゃ/genmaicha）. Seicomart and Family Mart sell this type of tea, but it’s not their own product. The fifth tea is oolong tea オーロン茶（おーろんちゃ/ooroncha）, everyone sells this type of tea. But only 7/11 and Lawson sell their own product. The price starts at 108 yen after tax. The sixth tea is jasmine tea ジャスミン茶（じゃすみんちゃ/jyasumin cha）, everyone also sells this type of tea. But only 7/11 and Lawson sell their own product, and the starting prices are 116 and 118 yen after tax. The seventh product is barley tea 麦茶（むぎちゃ/mugicha）, only Seicomart doesn’t sell this type of tea, and only Family Mart doesn’t sell their own product. The starting prices are 116 yen and 118 yen after tax. The eighth product is black tea 紅茶（こうちゃ/koucha）only 7/11 sells this type of tea, with a starting price of 108 yen after tax. The ninth type of tea is rooibos tea ルイボスティー（ruibosu tii）, and all minimarkets sell this type of tea. But only 7/11 and Lawson sell their own product. The starting prices are 116 and 118 yen after tax. The tenth type of tea is milk tea ミルクティー（miruku tii） everyone sells this type of tea, but none of them sell their own product. The starting price is 172 yen after tax.

So, that’s all for today’s blog. Tell me what kind of tea you currently like and drink, and when you go to Japan, does the tea taste the same as in your own home country, or is it different? Tell me in the comments…

On below are the links to the teas that are being sold in the minimarket. And please click the link; don’t copy it because of the length of the link I need to shorten it.

7/11 ( seven eleven )

green tea : https://www.sej.co.jp/green_tea

hojicha : https://www.sej.co.jp/hojicha

oolong tea : https://www.sej.co.jp/oolong_tea

jasmine tea : https://www.sej.co.jp/jasmine_tea

barley tea : https://www.sej.co.jp/barley_tea

black tea : https://www.sej.co.jp/blac_tea

rooibos tea : https://www.sej.co.jp/rooibos_tea

black soy bean tea : https://www.sej.co.jp/black_soybean_tea

milk tea : https://www.sej.co.jp/milk_tea

seicomart

all the teas : https://www.seicomart.co.jp/instore/rb/rb01_softdrink.html